January Transfer Window 2025

[SNSUN]

21 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Wilson is a permanent crock. He’s 32 and missed 28 games last season and 26 so far this season through injury. We’d be TYPICAL SAINTS to sign another player with that sort of record. 

Fixed it for you. 😜

[hypochondriac]

22 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Wilson is a permanent crock. He’s 32 and missed 28 games last season and 26 so far this season through injury. We’d be mad to sign another player with that sort of record. 

Bin off Stewart and get Wilson in on a pay as you play. Simples. 

[HarvSFC]

I made the point at the weekend that neither of our January signings so far were fit enough to play in January, so got me thinking of the crocks SR have signed:

ABK - Picked up a few long-term injuries in our relegation season, injured during his loan to PSV and now failing medicals at other clubs.

Lavia - Missed large spells of the relegation season and he was our hope that season. Now properly crocked at Chelsea.

Larios - Disappeared.

Sulemana - Plays a few times before suffering injury. 

Stewart - What was the point?

Downes - Bit of a sicknote. Will miss the odd couple of games every now and then.

Lallana - What was the point?

Ramsdale - Suffered two injuries this season - Goalkeepers are usually more reliable.

So, in three summers, 8 players who spend a lot of time with our medical staff. Bazunu and Orsic also suffered long-term injuries, Orsic after leaving, but I think they're one offs. While, before Ramsdale we were going to sign that crocked goalkeeper from the Netherlands, and Cornet also has a poor record with injuries.

 

[Gloucester Saint]

32 minutes ago, HarvSFC said:

I made the point at the weekend that neither of our January signings so far were fit enough to play in January, so got me thinking of the crocks SR have signed:

ABK - Picked up a few long-term injuries in our relegation season, injured during his loan to PSV and now failing medicals at other clubs.

Lavia - Missed large spells of the relegation season and he was our hope that season. Now properly crocked at Chelsea.

Larios - Disappeared.

Sulemana - Plays a few times before suffering injury. 

Stewart - What was the point?

Downes - Bit of a sicknote. Will miss the odd couple of games every now and then.

Lallana - What was the point?

Ramsdale - Suffered two injuries this season - Goalkeepers are usually more reliable.

So, in three summers, 8 players who spend a lot of time with our medical staff. Bazunu and Orsic also suffered long-term injuries, Orsic after leaving, but I think they're one offs. While, before Ramsdale we were going to sign that crocked goalkeeper from the Netherlands, and Cornet also has a poor record with injuries.

 

Out of those, only on Ramsdale has cost what I would call a market PL value for their position, and Bijlow who we were also interested in and proceeded quite a way on a transfer for, had a significant absence record for Feyenoord.

The club got very athletic/technical and strength from Mane, Tadic and VVD because they were paying the rate that type of pre-ECL player was attracting £12-15m in 2014-15. It didn’t keep up with the times under Reed and Wilson so more injury suspect players with quality were signed as a gamble. One worked spectacularly - Danny Ings - and the others like Boufal didn’t (Mane would already have cost £20m from Austria at that stage). 

Now the market for those emerging future ECL are £25-40m and being paid in key positions by Bournemouth, Brighton, Palace etc. 

Saints have got stuck in a twilight of spending quite a bit by Champ standards but not adapting on going up and spending the same, and less, on quality. Plus what they spent bigger on last season - Charles - is loaned out - and Stewart is glue. If you’re going to break the Championship record or get close, that player should be a fulcrum when you go up. Paid £18m to make Downes to make him permanent for Russell Martin, I like Flynn but not sure that spend, Lallana wages and BBD shouldn’t have gone on a big Victor/Bouba Diop tower of power for £25-30m from Ligue 1 instead. 

Edited Tuesday at 19:09 by Gloucester Saint

[ErwinK1961]

20 minutes ago, HarvSFC said:

I made the point at the weekend that neither of our January signings so far were fit enough to play in January, so got me thinking of the crocks SR have signed:

ABK - Picked up a few long-term injuries in our relegation season, injured during his loan to PSV and now failing medicals at other clubs.

Lavia - Missed large spells of the relegation season and he was our hope that season. Now properly crocked at Chelsea.

Larios - Disappeared.

Sulemana - Plays a few times before suffering injury. 

Stewart - What was the point?

Downes - Bit of a sicknote. Will miss the odd couple of games every now and then.

Lallana - What was the point?

Ramsdale - Suffered two injuries this season - Goalkeepers are usually more reliable.

So, in three summers, 8 players who spend a lot of time with our medical staff. Bazunu and Orsic also suffered long-term injuries, Orsic after leaving, but I think they're one offs. While, before Ramsdale we were going to sign that crocked goalkeeper from the Netherlands, and Cornet also has a poor record with injuries.

 

‘If it ain’t broke, consider breaking it’ has turned into ‘just be broken’

[verlaine1979]

You definitely need to be able to spend 30m when the position demands it, but it's not as if teams with better scouting than ours haven't been finding gems in the 10-15m range in the last 2 years. I can't be bothered to do an extensive search, but both Semenyo and Kluivert cost B'mouth in that range in 2023, and Hudson-Odoi went to Forest for about 3m.

Our scouting is just fucking awful and has been for years (with the very small exception of when we've been able to convince high-profile youth players like Tino and Lavia to join, which isn't the same at all).

(Obviously Hudson-Odoi also a known quantity, but he was just so absurdly cheap I include him for comparison anyway)

Edited Tuesday at 19:10 by verlaine1979

[Matthew Le God]

 

 

[Gloucester Saint]

9 minutes ago, verlaine1979 said:

You definitely need to be able to spend 30m when the position demands it, but it's not as if teams with better scouting than ours haven't been finding gems in the 10-15m range in the last 2 years. I can't be bothered to do an extensive search, but both Semenyo and Kluivert cost B'mouth in that range in 2023, and Hudson-Odoi went to Forest for about 3m.

Our scouting is just fucking awful and has been for years (with the very small exception of when we've been able to convince high-profile youth players like Tino and Lavia to join, which isn't the same at all).

Good post this, and for clubs outside of the top six plus Saudi on Tyne, not every player can be £30m, and the Livramento and Lavia deals are still great as well. You can still shop for what will be steady mid-table PL players and maybe better if their contract is running down at the £12-18m range if you’re proactive, as well as the £18-27m and £28m-40m.

It’s really about being efficient and being very nimble in all markets plus the best of your academy. It’s what we did 2012-16, what Brighton do so well at the moment and Bournemouth are replicating over the last two years. Get the core right with pace and strength and spend extra on the strikers, 10s and wide areas. 

Edited Tuesday at 19:16 by Gloucester Saint

[Dusic]

Probably unlikely but wonder if there is any feasibility in the summer with a player like Fernandes to tell him he can leave on loan but won't be sold and will return if we manage to get straight back up.

Logic being that Dibling will go for big cash so surely we won't be that desperate for another fee, and he will likely be worth even more the following summer anyway. Seeing as he signed a 5yr deal there would be little pressure on that side of things.

So hard to find these kind of gems at the fees we pay so really frustrsting to then have to try and find one all over again after just a season.

[Midfield_General]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

Because we’ve been so crap the decent signings have all left and Fernandes will be next. Shame as a core of Ramsdale, THB, Livramento, Lavia, Fernandes and Dibling would be the basis of a good young team. Shame we screwed it by surrounding them with dross and crap managers 

Plus absolutely spoiling to sell anyone half decent as soon as it becomes apparent another club is willing to pay a decent fee. All clubs of our size face the reality that the vultures will circle as soon as we have a prospect, but it always feels like we can't get them out the door quick enough as soon as we get a sniff of cash. 

[Baird of the land]

1 hour ago, Matthew Le God said:

 

 

What an awful 2 yr deal that seems now. When I saw him in preseason I got that sinking sensation, in that he looked nothing like the version of the player from the dyche moyes days. Getting him temporarily off the books would at least be a start.

[Midfield_General]

Another baffling, pointless signing. A bang average player, who had been in and out of a relegated side, who was completely unsuited to the manager's playing style, and who at 30 had little or no sell-on value or potential for increase in value. 

Signings like that are a perfect example of why our squad is so bloated with sub-standard dross. Utterly bizarre. 

Edited Tuesday at 20:52 by Midfield_General

[CB Fry]

26 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Another baffling, pointless signing. A bang average player, who had been in and out of a relegated side, who was completely unsuited to the manager's playing style, and who at 30 had little or no sell-on value or potential for increase in value. 

Signings like that are a perfect example of why our squad is so bloated with sub-standard dross. Utterly bizarre. 

Completely unsuited to the managers style despite playing 60 odd games under Vincent Kompany in both the Championship and Premier League?

In retrospect looks pointless but should have been good enough to displace Manning for example.

[SuperSAINT]

2 hours ago, Dusic said:

Probably unlikely but wonder if there is any feasibility in the summer with a player like Fernandes to tell him he can leave on loan but won't be sold and will return if we manage to get straight back up.

Logic being that Dibling will go for big cash so surely we won't be that desperate for another fee, and he will likely be worth even more the following summer anyway. Seeing as he signed a 5yr deal there would be little pressure on that side of things.

So hard to find these kind of gems at the fees we pay so really frustrsting to then have to try and find one all over again after just a season.

Nice idea, but would imagine we’d need the cash if you compare it to the last relegation summer.

[Chez]

1 hour ago, CB Fry said:

Completely unsuited to the managers style despite playing 60 odd games under Vincent Kompany in both the Championship and Premier League?

In retrospect looks pointless but should have been good enough to displace Manning for example.

In the championship, Kompany picked him to play CB at the start of the season, but by and large he couldn't get in their side - he started just five times in the last 30 league games. To be fair Maatsen played at left back and he's a damn good player, and they had THB and Beyer at CB, so decent competition. With Maatsen not coming back the following season, in the Prem he seemed to be the only left back in their squad, which might explain why he played regularly. Maybe someone that saw a few Burnley games that season can say how he performed. I got the impression that the passing out from the back game failed because the defenders were not up to it, he being one of those.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

5 hours ago, VectisSaint said:

Antonio? You mean the almost 35 year old who has recently been released from hospital after breaking his leg and is expected to be out for about a year. Not sure that would be a great option, though we have been known to sign crocked players in the past.

You make it sound as though he'd be somehow less likely to score than our current lot. 🙂

[woodsaint1]

3 hours ago, verlaine1979 said:

You definitely need to be able to spend 30m when the position demands it, but it's not as if teams with better scouting than ours haven't been finding gems in the 10-15m range in the last 2 years. I can't be bothered to do an extensive search, but both Semenyo and Kluivert cost B'mouth in that range in 2023, and Hudson-Odoi went to Forest for about 3m.

Our scouting is just fucking awful and has been for years (with the very small exception of when we've been able to convince high-profile youth players like Tino and Lavia to join, which isn't the same at all).

(Obviously Hudson-Odoi also a known quantity, but he was just so absurdly cheap I include him for comparison anyway)

Bournemouth is the perfect case study.

Evanilson was their big price signing in a position that demands it - £35m. They also spent £25m on Tyler Adams and £22m on Sinisterra from Leeds. But in that £20m and below range they have made some very astute signings in the last few windows -

Zabarnyi - £20m

Outtara - £20m

Kerkez - £16m

Huijsen - £14m

Kluivert - £10m

Tavernier £10m

Semenyo £9m

But like every club, it hasnt been without some players who have failed to deliver on their price tag

Traore - £25m

Faivre - £14m

There are others like Unal, Senesi, Scott who were costly but have delivered to some degree. But this has easily been offset by the £60m they got for Solanke.

They're riding that wave that we had in the Koeman years and early Hasenhuttl years where the recruitment was excellent - but crucially the management of the team was excellent also.

[Saint_lambden]

We should be all over Tanganga in the summer. Been colossal for Millwall this season. 

[danjosaint]

I'm sure we were linked a few seasons back 

[benjii]

10 hours ago, verlaine1979 said:

You definitely need to be able to spend 30m when the position demands it, but it's not as if teams with better scouting than ours haven't been finding gems in the 10-15m range in the last 2 years. I can't be bothered to do an extensive search, but both Semenyo and Kluivert cost B'mouth in that range in 2023, and Hudson-Odoi went to Forest for about 3m.

Our scouting is just fucking awful and has been for years (with the very small exception of when we've been able to convince high-profile youth players like Tino and Lavia to join, which isn't the same at all).

(Obviously Hudson-Odoi also a known quantity, but he was just so absurdly cheap I include him for comparison anyway)

Brentford's forwards were cheap.

[Hawkswood]

9 hours ago, woodsaint1 said:

Bournemouth is the perfect case study.

Evanilson was their big price signing in a position that demands it - £35m. They also spent £25m on Tyler Adams and £22m on Sinisterra from Leeds. But in that £20m and below range they have made some very astute signings in the last few windows -

Zabarnyi - £20m

Outtara - £20m

Kerkez - £16m

Huijsen - £14m

Kluivert - £10m

Tavernier £10m

Semenyo £9m

But like every club, it hasnt been without some players who have failed to deliver on their price tag

Traore - £25m

Faivre - £14m

There are others like Unal, Senesi, Scott who were costly but have delivered to some degree. But this has easily been offset by the £60m they got for Solanke.

They're riding that wave that we had in the Koeman years and early Hasenhuttl years where the recruitment was excellent - but crucially the management of the team was excellent also.

I think you've hit the nail on the head right at the end of your post. I think we've had some decent players here but they have woefully mismanaged by managers that just haven't been up to the job. Management makes all the difference. We've all seen it so many times.

[Gloucester Saint]

12 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

Nice idea, but would imagine we’d need the cash if you compare it to the last relegation summer.

Dragan might have to take a hit to move the club forward if it’s within FFP rules. Sustainably and profit comes with the asterisk of well-run club with excellent recruitment (see Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford, Palace) and we know the reality. 3 years of backing the Rasmus and Kraft horses has a penalty and Spores has a record which deserves a chance. 

[goodymatt]

 

Edited yesterday at 10:19 by goodymatt

[goodymatt]

 

[goodymatt]

 

[SuperSAINT]

2 hours ago, goodymatt said:

 

Doubt anyone’s buying Sulemana when we’ve said his hamstring is shot 

[Hawkswood]

13 hours ago, woodsaint1 said:

Bournemouth is the perfect case study.

Evanilson was their big price signing in a position that demands it - £35m. They also spent £25m on Tyler Adams and £22m on Sinisterra from Leeds. But in that £20m and below range they have made some very astute signings in the last few windows -

Zabarnyi - £20m

Outtara - £20m

Kerkez - £16m

Huijsen - £14m

Kluivert - £10m

Tavernier £10m

Semenyo £9m

But like every club, it hasnt been without some players who have failed to deliver on their price tag

Traore - £25m

Faivre - £14m

There are others like Unal, Senesi, Scott who were costly but have delivered to some degree. But this has easily been offset by the £60m they got for Solanke.

They're riding that wave that we had in the Koeman years and early Hasenhuttl years where the recruitment was excellent - but crucially the management of the team was excellent also.

I think you've hit the nail on the head right at the end of your post. I think we've had some decent players here but they have woefully mismanaged by managers that just haven't been up to the job. Management makes all the difference. We've all seen it so many times.

 

Anybody else seen this ? 18m for Danso.

Wolves are in the market for a central defender and have set their sights on Kevin Danso of Lens. The Ligue 1 side rejected an offer of £18.5m for the Austria defender on Monday and while Wolves are prepared to increase their bid, any move could be stymied by the small problem that Danso wants to stay put for the time being after picking up an injury. “Danso doesn’t want to leave,” said the Lens manager, Will Still. “He is not sabotaging us. He hurt himself in training. He took the ball on his ankle, which twisted and it pulled on his knee.”

[Chez]

52 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

Doubt anyone’s buying Sulemana when we’ve said his hamstring is shot 

According to the article, we want €8m plus a sizeable sell on percentage, but Lens only want to loan him.

[Chez]

23 minutes ago, Hawkswood said:

I think you've hit the nail on the head right at the end of your post. I think we've had some decent players here but they have woefully mismanaged by managers that just haven't been up to the job. Management makes all the difference. We've all seen it so many times.

 

Anybody else seen this ? 18m for Danso.

Wolves are in the market for a central defender and have set their sights on Kevin Danso of Lens. The Ligue 1 side rejected an offer of £18.5m for the Austria defender on Monday and while Wolves are prepared to increase their bid, any move could be stymied by the small problem that Danso wants to stay put for the time being after picking up an injury. “Danso doesn’t want to leave,” said the Lens manager, Will Still. “He is not sabotaging us. He hurt himself in training. He took the ball on his ankle, which twisted and it pulled on his knee.”

Assuming the link with Sulemena is true (I'd take it with a pinch of salt) Lens won't be able to plead pennyless (all be it they might need soem replacement CBs) when negotiating for him, seeing as they also just sold Khosanov to City for €50m.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

We obviously desperately need a striker (Bednarek currently joint top scorer with 2 League goals?????) but so do about 30 other teams and good forwards really do not grow on trees these days. So we are going to have to take a gamble by signing an old crock like Wilson or sign someone from Albania no one has heard of and neither option fills me with much hope. Even someone like Paul Moody, Neil Shipperly or Micky Evans would be a bonus right now because I don't think I can watch more of Adam Armstrong's non-existant ball control.

[Saint_lambden]

15 hours ago, Saint_lambden said:

We should be all over Tanganga in the summer. Been colossal for Millwall this season. 

Only a £2m release clause in his contract apparently. May be he gets snapped up by a PL team for that price, then. 

[Midfield_General]

3 hours ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Even someone like Paul Moody, Neil Shipperly or Micky Evans would be a bonus right now because I don't think I can watch more of Adam Armstrong's non-existant ball control.

Last I heard, Shipperley was certainly still knocking them in out 

Edited yesterday at 18:05 by Midfield_General

[goodymatt]

 

[Harry_SFC]

2 minutes ago, goodymatt said:

 

Dortmund would be a great move for him. He isn't good enough for Bayern yet and I couldn't see him playing much there. 

Edited yesterday at 18:21 by Harry_SFC

[Gloucester Saint]

24 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Last I heard, Shipperley was certainly still knocking them in out 

More Van Wanker than Van Nistelrooy 

[goodymatt]

 

[skintsaint]

23 minutes ago, goodymatt said:

 

[FarehamSaintJames]

I’m guessing FFP is massively impacting Aston Villa.

Mad dealing this season. High bids in for Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran yet also potentially high bids out for Victor Boniface.

[benjii]

1 hour ago, goodymatt said:

 

Let's hope Harry doesn't give him a motivational talk to encourage him.

 

[Convict Colony]

52 minutes ago, goodymatt said:

 

I'm not surprised Vancouver housing is insanely expensive.

[Matthew Le God]

 

 

 

[Dusic]

KWP not interested in moving to Turkey and will leave as a free agent in the summer where a host of PL teams want him.

Probably the least suprising news of the window.

Will end up at Brighton IMO.

[skintsaint]

26 minutes ago, Dusic said:

Will end up at Brighton IMO.

Everton I reckon.

[Whitey Grandad]

2 hours ago, goodymatt said:

 

We shall be in the Championship next season 🙂

[Saint86]

Justin Bijlow came off injured (again) tonight. Honestly astounded we didn't sign him 😄

[Monk]

23 hours ago, Saint_lambden said:

We should be all over Tanganga in the summer. Been colossal for Millwall this season. 

Interesting... spent Tuesday night watching him very closely. He was good and I did think he'd be an okay addition next year. Got spun twice but recovered very quickly. 

Appreciate the London connection but he is above the level of Millwall. 

[Convict Colony]

9 hours ago, Saint86 said:

Justin Bijlow came off injured (again) tonight. Honestly astounded we didn't sign him 😄

I think he injured himself from picking the ball out of his net 6 times.

[Dusic]

Will we even bother using our 2nd PL loan spot now? Unless it were someone who makes a clear difference or has potential to sign in the summer then it seems a little pointless.

I doubt any other incomings now unless we revisit maybe Garcia from Reading? If we feel he is worth signing and could eventually be a first XI player then it seems a bit pointless to miss out over a 500k squabble.

Will be interesting to see where Sam Amo goes and if we do loan out Bazunu or see him as a better option than McCarthy whilst Ramsdale is injured.

[benali-shorts]

Suspect we'll leave the loan until the last minute (or perhaps more accurately, until all of the loanee's other options haven't materialised....). I'd be surprised if they didn't use the loan given Sulemana and Dibling injuries.

[Saint86]

1 hour ago, Convict Colony said:

I think he injured himself from picking the ball out of his net 6 times.

Hah, whilst funny, it was 1-1 when he went off injured...